The manufacturers of OMG Dolls filed documents requesting a judge order T.I. to pay their legal fees following the rapper losing his trademark infringement lawsuit against the toymaker. MGA Entertainment filed the motion on June 26.
The recording artist and his wife Tiny Harris lost their lawsuit against the toymaker back in May. The couple claimed that MGA Entertainment stole the likeness and image of their daughter’s pop group, OMG Girlz, for the doll line, OMG Dolls.
A procedural error caused the first trial to be dismissed back in January in Los Angeles, California, and now the toymaker wants the “Bugatti” rapper to pay their legal fees, according to Billboard.
“The OMG Girlz’ litigation tactics, over-reaching claims, and misconduct — including violating one of this Court’s rulings as to require a mistrial — justify awarding MGA the over $6.1 million in fees spent litigating this matter,” reads the filing.
“Both in the manner the OMG Girlz litigated this case, and the weakness of the substantive claims and theories the OMG Girlz presented (as confirmed by the jury), the Court should conclude that this case stands out from others.”
OMG Girlz was founded by Harris in 2009 and included her daughter, Zonnique Pullins, Lourdes and Bahja Rodriguez and Reginae Carter. Carter was later replaced by Breaunna Womack and Lourdes also left the group. The group was known for their colorful outfits as well as their hairstyles, which T.I. claimed was copied by the dollmakers.
The trouble first started in 2021 when MGA sought sole possession of trademark rights to O.M.G. Dolls after T.I. sent the company a cease-and-desist letter. The couple countersued after MGA took them to court. During the first trial T.I.’s lawyers presented to the jury prohibited video of a woman saying in a deposition that she wouldn’t buy the dolls anymore because she didn’t want to support the company that stole from African-Americans. MGA was granted a mistrial.
A white juror from that trial later said that it appeared as if MGA’s lawyers tried to use racism to stir up the jury by playing OMG Girlz lyrics in court.
“What are you doing this for? You’re trying to rile up people’s racist feelings against Black people by saying this is how they talk,” he said, also noting that the dolls strongly resembled the girl group. “I’m sorry, I can’t believe it’s a coincidence.”
The second jury reportedly believed the OMG Dolls designers, Lora Stephens and Blanche Consorti, who claimed they did not copy the OMG Girlz while creating the doll line.
Typically, each party in a legal case is responsible for their own legal fees, regardless of the outcome. However, in trademark lawsuits, federal judges have the power to order the losing party, like T.I., to reimburse the winning party if the case is deemed to be “exceptional.”
T.I. has yet to respond to the filing and recently performed at the 2023 BET Awards to celebrate the 50th anniversary of hip-hop. The recording artist performed his hit “24s.”
